Hundreds clog downtown to mark three years of Phoenix pay woes

Local

(FROM THE OTTAWA CITIZEN) Hundreds of federal government workers affected by Phoenix pay system issues marched on several streets, including Laurier Avenue between Bank Street and Kent Street at around 7:30 a.m. on February 28.

Public Service Alliance of Canada national president Chris Aylward said the demonstration was needed to keep pressure on the government to add resources and focus on fixing the Phoenix issues.

“We’re here to send the message that this government has to put more resources into fixing Phoenix and they have to compensate our members for the stress they’ve been under for the last three years,” said Aylward. “The whole Phoenix thing right now, over the past three years, payday after payday, whether you’ve been affected or not, you still woke up wondering, ‘am I going to get paid this week’. You’ve had that stress. We’re asking this government to come forward now and compensate our members for that stress.”

National

(FROM CTV NEWS) Former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould says she faced political interference in the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin, outlining her allegations in a testimony that left Prime Minister Justin Trudeau facing calls for his resignation.

Trudeau, reacting to Wilson-Raybould’s allegations, maintained that he and his staff did not act inappropriately.

“I strongly maintain, as I have from the beginning, that I and my staff always acted appropriately and professionally. I therefore completely disagree with the former attorney general’s characterization of events,” he said.

After Wilson-Raybould’s testimony wrapped up, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer immediately called for Trudeau’s resignation.

“Justin Trudeau simply cannot continue to govern this country now that Canadians know what he has done. That is why I am calling on Mr. Trudeau to do the right thing and to resign. Further, the RCMP must immediately open an investigation if it has not already done so into the numerous examples of obstruction of justice,” Scheer said.

International

(FROM CTV NEWS) Talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un were cut short during their second nuclear summit on Thursday without reaching an agreement.

President Trump, who returned to the White House Thursday night, said that the talks fell through because North Korea’s leader insisted that all sanctions the U.S. had imposed be lifted without Pyongyang firmly committing to eliminate its nuclear arsenal.

North Korea challenged that account, insisting it had asked for partial sanctions relief in exchange for shutting down its main nuclear complex.